Ai Weiwei Does “Gangnam Style”

Chinese Dissident Ai Weiwei, Gangnam-Style

Ai Weiwei understands the Internet. So while the highly influential Chinese dissident and artist may have larger concerns on his mind than the latest world-conquering meme from the world of K-pop, it was perhaps only a matter of time until he took a few moments to demonstrate his estimable “Gangnam Style.”

I can’t claim to interpret exactly what Weiwei is getting at with this—note that he does Psy’s horse dance while holding handcuffs—but the video seems at the very least to be the artist’s latest gesture to show that he will not be silenced. While Weiwei has been spending many of his days under surveillance and house arrest—this video appears to have been filmed at his compound in Beijing—and is not allowed to leave the country, this won’t stop him from communicating with the whole world via social media and the Web. Perhaps the only truly puzzling question is: Why didn’t he include his cats?